CATONSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) — Two community college students face trouble with the law after police say they were busted bringing a gun on campus.

Derek Valcourt has more on what police say led up to the arrests.

The suspects told police they brought the gun for protection, but that’s no consolation to fellow students alarmed by the arrests.

Few students witnessed the commotion on the Catonsville campus last week.

“And I just saw police cars and people sitting on the ground and I saw a guy up against the glass and I was like, `What’s going on?'” said Katie Smith.

Police say what happened was the arrest of these two students, 18-year-old Uhland Richardson and 25-year-old Larry Hamilton. County police detectives conducting surveillance at the school noticed the men acting suspiciously near the rear of a car.

“They lifted up the bumper of the vehicle and retrieved an object out from underneath the car,” said Cathy Batton, Baltimore County Police.

Officers searched the men and found a pistol in their backpack. Richardson and Hamilton later told police they threw the gun on the ground during a fight with another group of men. They said when they came back to get it, the wheel of a CRV was parked on top of the gun. The CRV owner—a faculty member who asked not to be identified—said her car was not damaged.

“I didn’t feel anything unusual like I rolled over anything when I entered the parking space,” she said. “And what are the chances of me rolling over a weapon? That’s not something that’s ever happened in my lifetime.”

School officials declined our requests for an interview but say they are concerned any time a student is found with a gun on campus and say they are committed to increasing safety.

On campus, the arrests are unsettling to many students.

“I don’t like that I didn’t know about it,” said Casey Kielian.

“There’s lots of security around so you don’t really expect things like that to happen,” said Ebon Curry.

“It’s scary but it’s not completely shocking. I’m happy they caught them and happy that no one was hurt,” said Max Grossfield.

Court documents show both men are blaming each other for bringing the gun to school.